Encourage Your Child to Use More Language

Progressive Pediatric Therapy • June 2, 2021

What “Environmental Sabotage” is and how to make it work for you!

Written By: Karina Lee, M.S., SLP-CF, Edited by: Megan Sliski, PT, DPT

A woman is holding a little girl in her arms.

No one knows a child better than their parents/caregivers do. As parents, it’s your job to provide for your child’s needs and fulfill their wants to make your child happy. Before they even know what they want, you may make assumptions and offer what you think it is that they may want or need. However, as therapists, we use this feeling of wanting or needing something as a way to elicit and promote your child’s language development.

Environmental sabotage is the “art” or strategy of engineering the child’s environment or situation in order to create a necessity to communicate. If children are getting what they want without having to do any work to request it, why should the child bother communicating? Sabotage… out of love!

A woman is teaching a little girl how to read the alphabet

Let’s say your child goes to sleep every night and with his/her stuffed animal bunny. Before your child gets in bed where the bunny always is, you might “sabotage” your child’s environment by hiding the bunny. Your child will likely look around frantically and maybe cry or whine. Ideally, a little frustration will create the motivation for your child to look to you and request “help” or “bunny.” If your child still doesn’t make any effort to communicate after a few minutes, you can continue to act clueless and prompt your child to verbalize by asking “what’s wrong?” or “what do you need/want?” Eventually, you may “find” the bunny and hold it out of the child’s reach and tell the child to request “bunny.” Accepting verbal approximations, such as “buh buh”, may be okay. Your child still established the intent to communicate and used speech to make a request!

A woman and child are looking at a bottle of milk

Creating these situations for your child to use effective communication is a good motivation to help them learn to use language. They learn that the best way to solve a problem is to use their words, not by crying or whining. Though we are creating a little frustration for the kids, we don’t want to cause them stress either.

A speech bubble with a quote from karina lee

Here are some important tips when creating an “environmental sabotage” situation:

  • Give an ample amount of time for them to get creative with how they’re going to get their message across. They may struggle a bit but the idea is that if there is a necessity, they will try to find a way to let you know what they want or need. 
  • Make sure it’s the right level of difficulty. If your child has never said a word, you can’t expect them to say “I want the bunny please” after hiding their toy. Remember, communicative intent can be established without the use of speech. Simply making eye contact with you and pointing to the bed (to note something is missing) is sending a message to you too.
  • Don’t be afraid to get silly! If they point to the cookie, give them the piece of paper next to the cookie. If they want their favorite book read, start it on a different page. These little absurdities will have your kids questioning (and then communicating!) what’s going on. 

Sabotage… out of love!

A little boy is playing with a puppet on a table.

What is ARFID?

By Aimee Brueck • August 25, 2025
This is a lesser-known eating disorder compared to anorexia or bulimia. It is known by its English acronym ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). ARFID is characterized by very limited eating, either due to avoidance of certain tastes, textures, colors, smells, or an intense fear of the consequences of eating (such as choking or vomiting). ARFID is not related to body image or a desire to lose weight. ARFID affects the child’s social life—it’s not simply a phase of being a “picky eater.”

¿Qué es el ARFID?

By Aimee Brueck • August 25, 2025
Esto es un trastorno menos conocido como la anorexia o la bulimia. Esto es conocido por sus siglas en inglés como ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). El ARFID es caracterizado por una alimentación muy limitada, ya sea por la evitación de ciertos sabores, texturas, colores, olores o por un miedo intenso a las consecuencias de comer (como atragantarse o vomitar). ARFID no está relacionado con la imagen corporal ni el deseo de adelgazar. EL ARFID afecta la vida social del niño, no es simplemente una etapa de "comer selectivo"

Supporting Growth with Turtle Bracing: Custom Orthotic Care for Kids

By Aimee Brueck • August 7, 2025
Children grow quickly, and with that growth come unique physical needs. Whether it’s posture, mobility, or muscle support, some children benefit from an extra layer of help to move, play, and thrive confidently. At Progressive Pediatric Therapy, we offer Turtle Bracing : a lightweight, flexible orthotic solution designed to support growing bodies in motion
A child is sitting at a table drawing with a marker.

Crayons, Confidence & Kindergarten: Handwriting Without Tears Tips to Get Your Child Ready for School

July 31, 2025
July brings warm days, end-of-summer excitement, and for many families, the first signs of back-to-school prep. If your child is heading to kindergarten this fall, now is the perfect time to start building their confidence with handwriting. At Progressive Pediatric Therapy, we use the Handwriting Without Tears program to support early writers in a fun, low-pressure way that’s grounded in child development and occupational therapy expertise.

Handwriting Readiness: Helping Kids Start the School Year Strong

By Aimee Brueck • July 18, 2025
A new school year means fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils and a renewed focus on writing. But for many kids, handwriting isn’t just a subject, it’s a foundational skill that impacts how they learn, express ideas, and feel about school.
Two little girls are running on a basketball court.

Simple Backyard Games That Support Gross Motor Development

July 3, 2025
July brings long sunny days, school-free schedules, and endless opportunities for play, but for many families, it’s also a chance to focus on something essential: physical development through movement. Summer play isn’t just fun; it’s foundational. It helps children build strength, coordination, and confidence especially when it supports gross motor development .
A family is laying on a blanket in the grass reading a book.

Screen-Free Summer: Activities that Build Language, Strength, and Coordination

June 19, 2025
As the days get longer and the sun shines brighter, summer invites children to explore, play, and grow. But with screens so easily accessible, it can be tempting to turn to tablets or TVs for entertainment. At Progressive Pediatric Therapy, we believe summer is a golden opportunity to engage kids in meaningful, screen-free activities that support their development —in both body and mind.
A young boy is walking with a suitcase at an airport and giving a thumbs up.

How to Prepare Your Child with Sensory Challenges for Summer Travel

June 5, 2025
Summer is a season of sunshine, adventures, and unforgettable memories. But for families of children with sensory challenges, the thought of travel can also bring anxiety and overwhelm. At Progressive Pediatric Therapy, we believe every child deserves the chance to enjoy summer experiences, comfortably and confidently. With a little planning and the right support, travel can be not just manageable but truly enjoyable!
A woman is holding a little girl in a swimming pool.

Staying Safe and Making Waves: Water Safety & Aquatic Therapy for Kids

May 22, 2025
As temperatures rise and summer approaches, families across South Florida flock to the water for fun, relaxation, and play. But alongside the excitement comes an important responsibility, water safety . At Progressive Pediatric Therapy, we use this time of year not only to promote safe swimming habits but also to spotlight one of our most exciting specialty services: Aquatic Therapy .
A woman is sitting on the floor next to a child playing with toys.

Celebrating Better Hearing and Speech Month: How Speech-Language Pathologists Help Children Thrive

May 8, 2025
May is a month of blooming possibilities and brighter days, and for those of us at Progressive Pediatric Therapy, it also marks Better Hearing and Speech Month . A time to shine a spotlight on communication and the professionals who make a lifelong difference: Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) .